The Rundown (5/29-6/7)

Back again is the incredible… I’m about to have to finish stuff up here and move on to the casa, so this may get cut a bit short. There’s a ton of cool shows coming up, though, so here goes:

Tues., May 29:
Warren Jackson Hearne/Crook and Color/Secret Life of Sparrows/Sabra Laval @ Super Happy Fun Land
I’ve got no clue about most of these folks, but get there early for Sabra Laval — she does that bleak-yet-beautiful folk-country thing wonderfully, coming off at points like Chan Marshall channeling Nina Simone.

Wed., May 30:
GZA/Fyre Department/DJ Klever @ Warehouse Live (Free show; must RSVP to attend)
Well, I missed mentioning the El-P show — sorry, the weekend ate my life — but luckily, there’s another badass hip-hop show right around the corner. I’m hot & cold on the Wu in general, but GZA always spits some mean verses.
UPDATE: Damn, forgot to point it out when I posted this the first time — this is a free show, but you’ve gotta go to the linked Scion Website to put your name on the list and then show up early-early-early to get in. Hell, you probably ought to leave now.

Broken Teeth/Whorehound/Brian’s Johnson @ Rudyard’s
This one just makes me smile. Metal, metal, metal, all the way, and headlined by Austin’s Broken Teeth, the new band of Jason McMaster, formerly of…Dangerous Toys. Teasin’, pleasin’, indeed. (And hey, “Scared” was a good song, dammit.) BT aren’t bad, from what I’ve heard, kind of an old-school, balls-to-the-wall hard rock/metal band in the vein of AC/DC, with a little Priest thrown in for fun.

The Places/Graustark/Maidenstorm/Ralph White @ Super Happy Fun Land
Mmmm, noise. At least, that’s what I’m told this is. Graustark are local; not sure about the rest.

Thurs., May 31:
Penny Royal/Ceeplus and the House of Bad Knives/Two Star Symphony @ Numbers
Seems like an odd pairing, I know, with Ceeplus and the power poppiness of Penny Royal, and then the orchestral strangeness of Two Star Symphony. Even still, all three bands/artists/whatever are good at what they do, so I have a feeling it’ll work…

The Scattered Pages @ Brasil
I’m a recent convert to these guys, but man, are they good. I mean, really good. Check the writeup for a little bit on what they sound like; I’m currently at a loss for words…

Hatebreed/God Forbid/Evergreen Terrace/Terror/The Acacia Strain/After the Burial @ The Scout Bar (Clear Lake)
How in the hell does The Scout Bar get these people? Some big-ass names have been headed down that way lately, and it’s kinda crazy; the last time I went to that place, back when I worked down there, it was perpetually empty, just a glorified sportsbar. Kudos to you folks — Hatebreed are excellent, and I’ve had Evergreen Terrace and The Acacia Strain recommended to me, as well.

Fri., June 1:
By the End of Tonight/Nathan Kalish and the Wildfire/The Riff Tiffs/Buxton/O Pioneers!!!/Blades @ Walter’s on Washington
Here’s my tenuous connection to BTEOT coolness: my wife used to teach one of these guys (Stefan, I think; dunno if he’s even still in the band) in her Art class at Alvin High. From there to national indie-rock stardom — not bad, y’all. Plus, The Riff Tiffs and Buxton are cool, O Pioneers!!! are entertaining, and Blades rule. A good one.

Bring Back The Guns/Target Market/Something Fierce @ The Proletariat (happy hour show)
Two of my fave H-town bands in one place, and early, no less. Rock out.
UPDATE: Steven of Something Fierce posted below that this show ain’t happening; apparently Target Market couldn’t make it. Ah, well…

Keith Rowe/Loren Connors @ The Rothko Chapel
Dunno Rowe, but Loren Connors is part of that whole Chicago post-rock scene, and her(?) guitar work is pretty damn inventive, to say the least. Should be interesting.

Fri.-Sat, June 1-2:
Noisefest 2007, featuring Lethal Aggression, Insecticide, Condemned Unit, Hypo Christians, PLF, 50/50, Crusher, The Nautilus, Network of Terror, Reason of Insanity, El Desmadre, Los De Verdad, Hasbeen, Dissent, & Satannabis @ The Southmore House
Yep, more noise. I have to say that most of these folks give me a splitting fucking headache, but hell, I can’t help but admire ’em for doing what they want to do, commerciality be damned. Plus, this scummy city of ours seems tailor-made for the noise-rock scene we somehow seem to have…

Sat, June 2:
The Finalist/Thee Armada/Another Day/Eldridge/The Last Place You Look @ Fitzgerald’s
A pretty good showcase of H-town’s current emo-rock talent (although yeah, most of ’em are from the ‘burbs, but hey…). I like The Finalist, Another Day, and The Last Place You Look, and Thee Armada’s new/debut album blows me away.

The Flamin’ Hellcats @ The Cellar
Aww, yeah. Damn, I’m glad these guys are still around. Rip-roarin’, hard-drinkin’ vatobilly. If you’re lucky, a brawl’ll break out.

Sun., June 3:
Lifesavas/Strange Fruit Project/DJ Marc Sense/The Low Ends @ The Proletariat
Interesting indie-hip-hop, both local (Low Ends) and not (Lifesavas/Strange Fruit Project, the latter of which wins points for a creepy band name that makes me think of Billie Holliday). If you need proof that hip-hop’s not all bling & bitches, head for the Prolo.

theAUDITION/New Atlantic/The Graduate @ Java Jazz Coffeehouse (Spring)
I’m not real big on the whole post-Taking Back Sunday school of postcore, but I have to say that I like the New Atlantic’s album. It’s on the sweeter/more melodic side of things, kinda akin to Daphne Loves Derby. Ain’t half bad…

Tues., June 5:
Chinese Stars/Make Your Own Maps/Cop Warmth/Stove Blow @ The Proletariat
Like what I’ve heard of Chinese Stars, and dammit, I’ve gotta catch Cop Warmth sometime soon…

Wed., June 6:
Weird Al Yankovic @ Verizon Wireless Theater
Snicker if you want, but I’ve listened to this guy longer than any other band/musician I like. Seriously. His In 3-D album was the first actual “album” I bought (first-ever record was “Come Dancing” by the Kinks), and me and my friends memorized it word-for-word like the big dorks we were and spent most of gym class each day singing it back to one another. Good times.

Thurs., June 7:
The Hold Steady/Illinois/Blitzen Trapper @ Walter’s on Washington
This is gonna be freakin’ awesome. Imagine your nebbishy/cool old substitute math teacher fronting the E Street Band, talk-singing complicated stories about drug addiction, the Bible, sex, and kids having a good time, and you’ll get close to what these guys are like. Blitzen Trapper I dunno, but Illinois are pretty darn good, too.

Sage Francis/Buck 65/Alias/Buddy Wakefield @ Warehouse Live
Chris Garneau/Arthur Yoria @ The Proletariat (happy hour show)
Ah, this hurts. I love the ‘Steady, I love Sage, and I love Arthur (all in a very safe, manly way, mind you), and they’re all on the same damn night. Why, God, why? Sage: awesomely politicized, introverted-but-enraged hip-hop from the smallest state in the Union (RI). Arthur: coolly smart pop-rock with some of the best lyrics you’ll ever hear.